In today’s world, global markets are becoming interconnected and businesses are constantly looking for professionals. Those who specialise in accounting, auditing, investment, and strategic decision making are more in demand. For aspiring students who want to build a career in a globally recognised qualification is becoming one of the smartest career choices. There are professional courses that provide in-depth knowledge in these fields and also develop the skills that are required.
For finance aspirants who wish to build a career in either taxation, accounting, financial planning or investment management, some of the best certification courses are as follows:
1. ACCA
ACCA stands for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. The ACCA body is a globally recognised professional body that consists of professionals who are renowned experts in the field of accounting and finance. ACCA is regarded as one of the top credentials that is recognised in over 180+ countries.
Eligibility: Anyone can do the ACCA course whether you are in 10th or whether you are a working professional! For going with the normal route, you must have completed your 10+2 with a minimum of 65% in math/accounts and English and 50% in the rest of the subjects. If you are in 10th, you can go with the Foundation in Accountancy (FIA) route.
Exam Structure: ACCA has 13 papers and 3 courses i.e Knowledge level, Skill Level and Professional level. Candidates are also required to submit 36 months of relevant practical work experience. You can get up to 9 paper exemptions depending on your qualification!
Duration: You can complete the entire course in 1 to 3 years. It depends on how many papers you have to give after your exemptions.
Salary: The salary ranges from 4 lakhs to 14 lakhs depending upon the candidate’s skills and the company’s demand. Fresh Graduates earn around 4 lac(which is same as a CA) while the average salary is around 8 lac.
Career: Financial Analyst, Internal Auditor, Tax Consultant, CFO, Management Accountant, Risk and Compliance manager etc.
2. US CPA
A Certified Public Accountant is a globally recognised certification that allows one to practice as a licensed and certified accountant in several countries. It opens the door for accounting professionals in the field of private equity firms, investment banks, accounting firms and hedge funds. It is necessary that you complete all the qualifying exams and work experience to become CPA certified.
Eligibility: The minimum eligibility criteria for a US CPA are having a bachelor’s degree in any one of the streams among Accounting, Commerce, Finance or Arts. For US CPA, you also need 120 credit points to take the CPA exam and for the license, you would need 150 credits to get the license.
Exam Structure: The US CPA exam has three main subjects that are: Financial Accounting, Auditing and Attestation and Taxation and Regulation and there are 3 optional subjected from which you have to choose one. The questions are 50% MCQ based and 50% TBS based. It is a four-hour test with four sections and an individual is required to complete all the sections in a period that depends on the state board.
Duration: You can just complete the entire course in 12 to 18 months.
Salary: In India, a fresh CPA professional can earn an average salary of 15 LPA and those who have experience of 3 to 5 years earn between 16 and 20 LPA. Senior-level professionals and those who are working with the Big 4 or MNCs earn salaries up to 25 LPA and more.
Career: Financial Analyst, Audit Manager, Tax Consultant, Chief Financial Officer, Risk & Compliance Manager, Budget Analyst, Risk Assessment Officer, Financial Reporter and Controller, Financial Advisor, etc.
Top Companies: The Big 4firms i.e, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PwC, Deloitte and US based MNCs in India.
3. US CMA
The full form of US CMA course is Certified Management Accountant, US CMA is the highest level of certification for management accounting. It is awarded by IMA, USA i.e Institute of Management Accountants. This certification is for those who wish to work in accounting and finance related sector. It prepares you for decision-making roles so that you can lead and guide the organization/team members.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the US CMA course, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Either that or you must hold a related professional certification.
Exam Structure: US CMA consists of 2 parts: Financial Planning, Performance and Analytics and Strategic Financial Management
Duration: You can complete the US CMA course in 6 to 9 months.
Salary: A US CMA earns 20 lakhs per year and an entry-level US CMA with less than 3 years of experience can earn an average income of 7.6 lakhs per year.
Career: Chief Financial Controller, Financial manager, Risk manager, FP&A Analyst, Management Accountant, Cost management.
4. EA
EA or Enrolled Agent is a federally authorised tax practitioner who has technical expertise in the field of taxation. As an enrolled agent you can prepare tax returns, represent clients before IRS, have unlimited representation rights, appeal for clients in front of IRS. You can also advise clients on tax implications based on their business transactions.
Eligibility: While there is no strict criterion or prior qualifications to enrol for the EA course, the minimum eligibility criteria are being 18 years old and having a passport.
Exam Structure: There are 3 exam levels in EA: Individuals, Businesses and Representation, Practices and Procedure. The duration for each part of the EA exam is 3.5 hours. There is no Negative Marking.
Duration: The EA course can be completed within 6- 9 months. It depends on each student’s dedication and preparation speed.
Salary: The starting salary of an EA is between 6-8 LPA. The salary ranges depending on your skills and the company.
Career: Tax practitioner with Big 4 firms, US-based MNCs in India, Amazon, F&A Companies and Departments of BPOs and KPOs.
5. CIA
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) is the only globally recognised professional qualification for internal auditors, awarded by the Institute of Internal Auditors. The program provides expertise in the Professional Practice Framework, organisational governance, and tools and techniques for risk and control evaluation. CIAs are capable of conducting audit engagements in adherence to the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, applying the necessary business, IT and management acumen for comprehensive audits.
Eligibility: You must have completed your graduation and have a legal passport with you. A work experience of 2+ years in accounting is also required. If you don’t have a graduation degree, you must sit for the IAP exam first.
Exam Structure: There are 3 parts in CIA exam- Internal Audit Fundamentals, Internal Audit Engagement and Internal Audit Function
Duration: The CIA exam can be completed in 6-9 months.
Salary: The salary ranges depending on your skills and the company. The average salary of a CIA in the US is up to $40,000 and in India, it is up to 10 lakhs.
Career: Internal Auditor, Financial Controller, Chief Internal Auditor, risk manager, Forensic Accountant, Compliance Lead, Chief Audit Executive and Internal Auditing Manager.
6. CFA
The full form of CFA is Chartered Financial Analyst. CFA® is a globally recognised credential that helps you demonstrate mastery over advanced investment analysis & real-time portfolio management. If you are an investment professional and want to take your studies further to get a designated job, the CFA course is at your doorstep. Chartered Financial Analyst is the most enviable choice for investment and financial professionals. The CFA course is a postgraduate professional program that is offered internationally by the CFA Institute.
Eligibility: If you are in the 1st year of graduation, you can give the level 1 exam but for the level 2 and level 3 exam, you need to have your graduation degree with you. You would need 4000 hours of qualifying work experience ( or a combination of education and experience) which can be obtained over a minimum of 36 months.
Exam Structure: There are 3 levels of exams in CFA. There are MCQ-based questions and item set questions and there is no negative marking.
Duration: It is possible to complete the CFA Program in 1.5 to 2 years.
Salary: In India, the average salary of a CFA is up to 10 LPA.
Career: Private Wealth Management, Commercial Banking, Investment Banking, Consulting, Portfolio management, Investment Strategist, Asset Management, Insurance, etc.
7. CFP
Certified Financial Planner is a leading certification globally that is recognised in the field of Financial Planning with over 213,000 CFP professionals. It is popular in more than 27 territories across the world. CFP is a professional mark for financial planners that is granted by the Financial Planning Standards Board. CFP is recognised widely in 170+ countries as a symbol of excellence and the gold standard certification for financial planning.
Eligibility: There are two pathways- Regular and fasttrack. For regular pathway, you must have completed your 12th with a minimum of 50% marks and you would need to pass the 3 specialist exams: Investment Planning Specialist; Retirement and Tax Planning; Risk and Estate Planning. For Fast Track, you can skip these three exams and directly prepare for the final module if you are eligible.
Exam Structure: Three hours are provided for the first 85 questions and another 3 hours for the last 85 questions. Each section is subdivided into two subsections.
Duration: It spans from a minimum of 6 months to 2 years in duration and equips individuals with expertise in financial planning.
Salary: The average salary package of a CFP-certified individual is up to 5 to 15 LPA.
Career: Financial Planner, Financial Assistant, Financial Analyst, Portfolio Manager, Investment Manager, Mutual Fund Admin, Wealth Management, Insurance Advisor, Private Banking.
8. FM
Financial Modeling is perfect for someone who is working in finance, investment or even business analytics. It involves creating mathematical representations of business performance. This helps the business to make decisions about future investments, mergers and company valuation. Anyone with a basic knowledge of Excel can pursue this course.
Eligibility: FM is suitable for anyone who is interested. If you are 16+, you can easily pursue the course. If you are working in finance, interested in finance or have a background related to finance, you can apply.
Salary: You can earn up to 6 to 20 LPA in India and with experience, you can get a much better salary.
Career: Investment Banking Analyst, Financial Analyst, Equity Research Analyst, private Equity Associate, Business Consultant, Entrepreneur, Corporate Finance Manager, etc.
After you complete CFP from the best CFP course institution in India, VG Learning Destination (VGLD), the certification will be recognised by top employers in the finance industry.
Conclusion
The finance industry is no longer just limited to traditional career options, it has also expanded into global opportunities. The best 8 finance course certifications in India are- ACCA, CPA, CMA, CFA, CIA, CFP, EA and financial modeling. Each of them specialises in different areas such as accounting, auditing, management, analysing, planning and decision making roles. For students and working professionals, the right guidance and training can help in complete the course they would like to do. This is what VG Learning Destination (VGLD) is famous for. VGLD is the best course institution in India that offers various benefits like live + recorded lectures, doubt clearing sessions and they have a proven track record with 90%+ passing rates. Choosing the right certification can shape your career and VGLD is one way to go for it.
FAQs
- Which is the best finance certification course in India?
There is no one best finance certification course as each one of them depends on your interests. ACCA and CPA are highly valued courses. CMA is ideal for those students who want to go into management accounting. Those who are interested in tax can go for the Enrolled Agent course from VGLD and CFPS is perfect for financial planning roles. Courses like CIA and Financial Modelling are go-tos for specialised roles.
- Can I pursue these courses with my job or studies?
Absolutely! Most of these certifications are really flexible. Institutes like VG Learning Destination offer weekday and weekend classes along with Live+ recorded lectures for those who are working so that they can learn at their own pace.
- Do I need any prior experience before enrolling in these 8 finance courses in India?
Not always. Some courses like ACCA, CFP, EA just require you to have passed 12th grade. Other courses like CPA, CMA, CFA and CIA require a graduation degree and in some cases, you would also need work experience. If you are a beginner, you can also go for Financial Modeling.
